Masa Israel Journey Blog

I have seen the past, and it is ugly. Standing at the foot of a mass grave in Glugow Forest in Poland, emotions are swirling. Below the ground we stand on lay the remains of 6,000 Jewish children. I feel invaded, angry, indignant. But when I look at the faces of those who stand with me here, I also feel a sense of strength.

The forest is all but silent except for the chirping of the birds. The sounds they make are a testament to the living, to us. Next to me stands Avner Netanyahu, the son of Israel’s Prime Minister, who is part of our Young Judaea group visiting Poland for a week-long trip to unearth our painful, collective past. Avner is a living embodiment that Jewish history has not been forgotten. The simple fact that he and I stand here today, breathing, feeling, living, fills me with hope.

A group of young professionals in Tel Aviv are taking Shabbat to the next level. White City Shabbat, in conjunction with the Am Yisrael Foundation, is planning the World’s Largest Shabbat Dinner to attempt gain recognition in the Guinness Book of World Records. The dinner will be held in Spring 2014 at the Tel Aviv Port and will be 100% Kosher and uphold the highest levels of shomer Shabbos. We recently spoke with Washington, D.C.-native Victoria Kimmerling of the Am Yisrael Foundation via e-mail about the event, interning in Israel, and singular nature of Shabbat.

Why did you want to intern in Israel through Masa Israel Journey? What led you to get involved with the Am Yisrael Foundation?